Library
L is for Lifestyle
We should be thankful for the great lifestyle we enjoy in Australia. We have great climate (OK it can get a bit hot and a bit dry) and we are surrounded by all the trappings of a modern lifestyle – cars, TV’s all the mod-cons. We also have on the longest lifespans in the world. With good genetics and good behaviour, we can reasonably expect to live through eight or nine decades.
Good behaviour! You knew there had to be a catch. Lifestyle is something we experience, but it is also something that we control. Proper control one’s lifestyle (good behaviour) can determine the quality and quantity of life over your years. There are things you can change and things you can’t change in your lifestyle. For a start, stop worrying about those things you can’t change and put some effort into those you can.
The main habitual lifestyle factors that you can change to improve your quality and quantity of life include stopping smoking, increasing physical activity, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and reducing alcohol intake (eliminating any binge drinking). For example, in 1999 alone, it was estimated that over 13,000 Australian deaths were attributed to a lack of sufficient physical activity.
The thing about modifiable lifestyle behaviour is that once you change on of those habits, you find it easier and easier to change more and more of tem. If you want to get on the path to better health, start by going to a 20 or 30 minute walk, three to five times over the next week. You will feel better, you will feel like you have accomplished something, and you will find it easier to improve some of the other lifestyle behaviours you have established over the years. Start today, the footpath is right outside your door.
Written by Professor Kerry Mummery
College of Health and Human Services
CQUniversity
